Piece goods which are present in the form of heaps, stacks or the like must often be separated prior to further handling. After the separation, the piece goods can be sorted, for instance, to be precise in particular by automated plants. For the separation, the piece goods items are generally tipped onto a transporting device in the form of a singulation conveyor, which effects the transport of the piece goods items and the separation of the piece goods items along the transport track. The singulation or separation of the piece goods items is here typically achieved by virtue of the fact that additional motion components are impressed on the piece goods items conveyed along the transport track of the singulation conveyor. The motion components can be impressed one after another, and/or in different directions, on the piece goods. According to requirement, this happens repeatedly in order to separate the piece goods step by step. The separated piece goods items are distributed on the transport track preferably such that the piece goods items are spaced apart in at least one direction. The piece goods items can thus be spaced apart in the direction of transport of the singulation conveyor and/or transversely thereto. The thus separated piece goods items can then, for instance, be fed to sorting devices, in which the piece goods items are sorted according to predetermined criteria.
The transport track for the piece goods items is generally arranged in one plane. In the course of the transport track, the latter can however, also define different planes. In the respective plane formed by the transport track, the piece goods items rest on the transport track and in this position are moved by the singulation conveyor in the direction of transport. Thus the piece goods items are transported and separated along this at least one plane. The piece goods items are here generally transported at least substantially in a straight line. The piece goods can however, also be guided around bends. In this case, the extent of the transport track predetermines the direction of transport of the piece goods items, which can change along the transport track. Added to this is the fact that the piece goods items, for the purpose of the separation, can have a motion component transversely to the actual direction of transport. However, this motion component serves for the separation rather than for the transport, for which reason this additional motion component does not change the actual direction of transport of the piece goods items, so that piece goods items are moved in the same direction of transport and, at the same time, can be separated transversely thereto.
The piece goods items can be, for instance, products or merchandise. In particular, these are packages in the form of piece goods items, such as merchandise, consignments or other goods, which are packed with packagings. Consignments are typically delivered to specific addressees. Moreover, consignments are often constituted by packages, i.e. packed piece goods items. Prior to the delivery of the consignments to the addressees of the consignments, a presorting is in many cases realized in a delivery base station, for example according to the geographical area of the addressees. The delivery base station can be constituted, for instance, by a so-called parcel centre, a depot or the like. The consignments can be delivered after the sorting or else can be further sorted, which can be realized, for instance, at a different location from the preceding sorting. The delivery can be made to addressees of the consignments or to appropriate distribution points, such as, for instance, parcel boxes or packing stations.
As piece goods items, packages and/or consignments are regarded in the present case very different items, which can preferably be transported at reasonable cost with regard to their size and weight. Everyday necessities, such as consumables or food products, qualify just as much as technical items and equipment. In many cases, the consignments are constituted by letter-post items, parcel-post items and/or flyers. Parcel-post items here also embrace packets, whilst flyers can also be pamphlets, brochures and magazines.
Singulation conveyors frequently have strap conveyors having driven straps or belts, roller conveyors having rotatable rollers or rolls, or chain conveyors having revolving chains. To this can then also be added devices for separating the piece goods items. Thus singulation conveyors which have straps or belts, driven at different speeds, for separating the piece goods along the direction of transport are known, for instance. Branching devices, which distribute the piece goods transversely to the actual direction of transport of the piece goods, can, however, also be provided.
The known singulation conveyors are often very complex in terms of equipment, in some cases require a lot of space and can only conditionally be used in relation to the piece goods items to be separated.